Tiz Dashing displays late kick to take Canadian Turf Stakes
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Rebounding from a hard-luck second with a tough trip in the Tropical Park Derby in December, Tiz Dashing got a much cleaner trip and displayed a strong late kick to upset Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Tiz Dashing, facing older horses for the first time, won the Canadian by 3 3/4 lengths while Battle of Normandy won a five-horse calvary charge for second by a head over Beach Gold. It was noses back to Fort Washington and the favored Wolfie’s Dynaghost in fourth and fifth. It was a neck back to Win for the Money in sixth.
Tiz Dashing, a Kentucky-bred son of Tiz the Law, won for the third time in 11 starts, but it was his second graded stakes victory in his last three starts. Last November, he won the Grade 3 Hill Prince at Aqueduct.
In the Tropical Park Derby here on Dec. 13, Tiz Dashing got steadied and shuffled back before coming with a late run that fell a nose short to Layabout, who came back to win the Grade 3 William McKnight last month.
Saturday, Tiz Dashing raced a joint fifth, but was only three lengths off the lead, while kept in the clear by Javier Castellano. Tiz Dashing began a steady advance toward the pacesetting Wolfie’s Dynaghost around the far turn and he was just off the flank of that one and the pace-prompting Stars and Strides turning for home. When Castellano asked Tiz Dashing, he drew clear for the emphatic victory.
“My goal today was get a forward position, I believe last time I rode with a lot of patience,” Castellano said. “Lucky enough he broke well, I got a good position on first turn, I moved up a little bit, followed the horses keep track of the pace when it was time to go I step up outside and he exploded.”
Tiz Dashing, owned by Sackatoga Stable and trained by Barclay Tagg, covered the mile in 1:38.07 and he returned $24.80 to win. Tiz Dashing was given a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
“Bad trip last time,” said Robin Smullen, assistant to Tagg. “He had a perfect trip this time. We were hoping we were laying a little closer, but we didn’t need to be as it turned out. He has a three-sixteenths-of-a-mile turn of foot and that’s it. If you move too early you’re kind of shot.”
Smullen said Tiz Dashing could be a candidate for a race like the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland on April 10 or the Grade 3, $175,000 Ft. Marcy at Aqueduct on May 2.
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